Ukraine hits key fuel pipeline that supplies Russian forces, military intelligence says
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian forces struck a crucial fuel pipeline in the Moscow region that supplies the Russian army, Ukraine’s military intelligence announced Saturday. This claim comes amid a sustained Russian campaign of massive drone and missile attacks targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
The operation was carried out late Friday, according to a statement on the Telegram messaging channel by Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, known by its acronym HUR. The agency described the strike as a “serious blow” to Russia’s military logistics.
HUR reported that its forces hit the Koltsevoy pipeline, which spans 400 kilometers (250 miles) and delivers gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel to the Russian army from refineries in Ryazan, Nizhny Novgorod, and Moscow. The operation targeted infrastructure near the Ramensky district and destroyed all three fuel lines, the agency said.
The Koltsevoy pipeline has the capacity to transport up to 3 million tons of jet fuel, 2.8 million tons of diesel, and 1.6 million tons of gasoline annually, according to HUR. Kyrylo Budanov, head of HUR, emphasized the significance of the strike, stating, “Our strikes have had more impact than sanctions,” referring to international measures imposed on Russia over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Moscow Struggles to Capture Key Eastern City
Meanwhile, Russia’s defense ministry claimed Saturday that its forces defeated a team of Ukrainian special forces deployed to the eastern frontline hotspot of Pokrovsk. The Ukrainian troops were reportedly sent to halt Russian advances into the city.
Pokrovsk, located in the Donetsk region, remains a key Ukrainian stronghold amid heavy conflict. Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed last week that his forces had encircled Ukrainian defenders in the city. However, Hryhorii Shapoval, spokesman for Ukraine’s eastern forces, told The Associated Press that while the situation in Pokrovsk is “hard,” it remains “under control.”
On Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged that some Russian units had infiltrated Pokrovsk but insisted that Ukrainian forces are actively removing them. Kyiv has not immediately responded to Russia’s latest claim about the defeat of Ukrainian special forces.
Zelenskyy also revealed last week that Russia has deployed around 170,000 troops in the Donetsk region as part of a major offensive aimed at capturing key cities like Pokrovsk and securing a significant battlefield victory.
Putin continues to pressure the United States— which has urged him to pursue a peace deal — insisting that Ukraine cannot withstand Russia’s military superiority. He has also highlighted what he describes as Russia’s improving nuclear capabilities, maintaining firm on what he calls his country’s legitimate war aims.
One of Moscow’s central objectives remains gaining control over the entire Donbas industrial heartland, which includes the eastern Luhansk and Donetsk provinces. At present, Kyiv retains control over approximately a tenth of this coal-rich region.
Russian Nighttime Strikes Kill Civilian and Injure 15 More
Elsewhere in Ukraine, a civilian was killed and 15 others wounded after a Russian ballistic missile struck southern Ukraine on Saturday morning, local official Vitaliy Kim reported. Among the injured is a child. The attack targeted the Mykolaiv region and involved the use of an Iskander missile, he added.
Another strike early Saturday triggered a fire at a gas plant in the central Poltava region, according to Ukraine’s emergency service.
These latest strikes come as Russia maintains relentless drone and missile attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Earlier this week, these assaults caused widespread power outages and restrictions, which Kyiv has described as “systematic energy terror.”
Moscow reportedly launched 223 drones overnight into Saturday, with Ukraine’s air force shooting down 206 of them. Seventeen drones struck targets across seven Ukrainian regions, though specific details on the damage were not released.
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